UNIX Fourth Edition - Revision history

Aap: refer to v4 installation instructions

2025-12-20T04:15:34Z

refer to v4 installation instructions

Aap: wrong link

2025-12-20T03:07:20Z

wrong link

Aap: Added quick note about booting the v4 tape

2025-12-20T03:06:56Z

Added quick note about booting the v4 tape

ForOldHack: /* External links / Added news, since this is news*. Its OMG news! OMG! Sorry, but I am excited. UNIX > XENIX.

2025-11-11T06:25:47Z

‎External links: Added news, since this is *news*. Its OMG news! OMG! Sorry, but I am excited. UNIX > XENIX.

ForOldHack: /* Reverted mistake */

2025-11-08T02:49:49Z

‎Reverted mistake

ForOldHack: /* Possible alternative hardware for UNIX v4 from

2025-11-08T02:47:17Z

/* Possible alternative hardware for UNIX v4 from

ForOldHack: /* Possible source tape discovered */

2025-11-08T02:39:41Z

‎Possible source tape discovered

Jnc: /* External links */ possible config of the UNIX group's -11/45

2023-07-18T01:45:45Z

‎External links: possible config of the UNIX group's -11/45

Jnc: +previous version

2022-06-23T04:05:40Z

+previous version

Aap: Some more info on the nsys kernel.

2022-05-27T09:51:56Z

Some more info on the nsys kernel.

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 https://www.spinellis.gr/pubs/jrnl/2016-EMPSE-unix-history/html/unix-history.pdf
-=== Booting v4 ===
+=== Installing and Running V4 ===
-Since the tape has been read, the system can now be booted.
+Since the tape has been read, the system can now be installed and booted.
-Get the required files (unix_v4.tap and disk.rk) here: http://squoze.net/UNIX/v4
+After follow the installation instructions here: http://squoze.net/UNIX/v4
 <pre>
-set cpu 11/45
+% pdp11 boot.ini
 [...]
+        ; boot from RK0, now in uboot
+k
 unix

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 Since the tape has been read, the system can now be booted.
-Get the required files (unix_v4.tap and disk.rk) here: http://squoze.net/UNIX/v4/README
+Get the required files (unix_v4.tap and disk.rk) here: http://squoze.net/UNIX/v4
 With the following boot.ini

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 Research UNIX v4, dated to 1973:
 https://www.spinellis.gr/pubs/jrnl/2016-EMPSE-unix-history/html/unix-history.pdf
 ==External links==

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 ** [https://minnie.tuhs.org/cgi-bin/utree.pl?file=V4/man/man5/fs.5 File system]
 * [http://squoze.net/UNIX/v4man/ UNIX Programmer's Manual: Fourth Edition]
 {{Nav Unix}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:49, 8 November 2025
Line 13:		Line 13:

	Apparently, the only model of PDP-11 supported was the [[PDP-11/45]].		Apparently, the only model of PDP-11 supported was the [[PDP-11/45]].
−
−	~~"Amoug the new goodies are:~~
−	~~1) Separate I and D space for the resident monitor on 11/45s and 11/70s/"~~
−
−	~~https://www.spinellis.gr/pubs/jrnl/2016-EMPSE-unix-history/html/unix-history.pdf~~

	A complete copy of Fourth Edition does not seem to be extant. [[The Unix Heritage Society\|TUHS]] has a copy of the 'UNIX Programmer's Manual' and the [[source]] for what would become the V4 kernel. The main differences in this 'nsys' kernel compared to the later V4 kernel are the earlier V3 way of registering signal handlers, and a few not yet implemented system calls. Most importantly [[pipe]]s had not yet been implemented, making this kernel not fully functional even on a V3 system.		A complete copy of Fourth Edition does not seem to be extant. [[The Unix Heritage Society\|TUHS]] has a copy of the 'UNIX Programmer's Manual' and the [[source]] for what would become the V4 kernel. The main differences in this 'nsys' kernel compared to the later V4 kernel are the earlier V3 way of registering signal handlers, and a few not yet implemented system calls. Most importantly [[pipe]]s had not yet been implemented, making this kernel not fully functional even on a V3 system.

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:47, 8 November 2025
Line 13:		Line 13:

	Apparently, the only model of PDP-11 supported was the [[PDP-11/45]].		Apparently, the only model of PDP-11 supported was the [[PDP-11/45]].
		+
		+	"Amoug the new goodies are:
		+	1) Separate I and D space for the resident monitor on 11/45s and 11/70s/"
		+
		+	https://www.spinellis.gr/pubs/jrnl/2016-EMPSE-unix-history/html/unix-history.pdf

	A complete copy of Fourth Edition does not seem to be extant. [[The Unix Heritage Society\|TUHS]] has a copy of the 'UNIX Programmer's Manual' and the [[source]] for what would become the V4 kernel. The main differences in this 'nsys' kernel compared to the later V4 kernel are the earlier V3 way of registering signal handlers, and a few not yet implemented system calls. Most importantly [[pipe]]s had not yet been implemented, making this kernel not fully functional even on a V3 system.		A complete copy of Fourth Edition does not seem to be extant. [[The Unix Heritage Society\|TUHS]] has a copy of the 'UNIX Programmer's Manual' and the [[source]] for what would become the V4 kernel. The main differences in this 'nsys' kernel compared to the later V4 kernel are the earlier V3 way of registering signal handlers, and a few not yet implemented system calls. Most importantly [[pipe]]s had not yet been implemented, making this kernel not fully functional even on a V3 system.

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:39, 8 November 2025
Line 15:		Line 15:

	A complete copy of Fourth Edition does not seem to be extant. [[The Unix Heritage Society\|TUHS]] has a copy of the 'UNIX Programmer's Manual' and the [[source]] for what would become the V4 kernel. The main differences in this 'nsys' kernel compared to the later V4 kernel are the earlier V3 way of registering signal handlers, and a few not yet implemented system calls. Most importantly [[pipe]]s had not yet been implemented, making this kernel not fully functional even on a V3 system.		A complete copy of Fourth Edition does not seem to be extant. [[The Unix Heritage Society\|TUHS]] has a copy of the 'UNIX Programmer's Manual' and the [[source]] for what would become the V4 kernel. The main differences in this 'nsys' kernel compared to the later V4 kernel are the earlier V3 way of registering signal handlers, and a few not yet implemented system calls. Most importantly [[pipe]]s had not yet been implemented, making this kernel not fully functional even on a V3 system.
		+
		+	==Possible Source(s)==
		+
		+	"A tape-based piece of unique Unix history may have been lying quietly in storage at the University of Utah for 50+ years. The question is whether researchers will be able to take this piece of middle-aged media and rewind it back to the 1970s to get the data off."
		+
		+	* [https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/07/unix_fourth_edition_tape_rediscovered/ UNIX fourth edition tape rediscovered]
		+
		+	"– The 4th Edition (November 1973 — Research-V4) contains only source markup
		+	for the manual pages: 18975 lines of troff code."
		+
		+	Research UNIX v4, dated to 1973:
		+	https://www.spinellis.gr/pubs/jrnl/2016-EMPSE-unix-history/html/unix-history.pdf

	==External links==		==External links==

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 * [https://minnie.tuhs.org/cgi-bin/utree.pl?file=V4 V4]
 ** [https://minnie.tuhs.org/cgi-bin/utree.pl?file=V4/nsys nsys] - complete kernel source
 ** [https://minnie.tuhs.org/cgi-bin/utree.pl?file=V4/man/man0/intro UNIX Programmer's Manual Fourth Edition - Introduction]
 ** [https://minnie.tuhs.org/cgi-bin/utree.pl?file=V4/man/man5/fs.5 File system]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 | creator = AT&T/[[Western Electric]]
 | year introduced = November, 1973
-| next version = [[UNIX Fifth Edition]]
+| previous version = [[UNIX Third Edition|V3]]
 | type = [[Multi-tasking]], [[multi-user]]
 | architecture = [[PDP-11 architecture|PDP-11]]
@@ Line 12: / Line 14: @@
 Apparently, the only model of PDP-11 supported was the [[PDP-11/45]].
-A complete copy of Fourth Edition does not seem to be extant. [[The Unix Heritage Society|TUHS]] has a copy of the 'UNIX Programmer's Manual'
+A complete copy of Fourth Edition does not seem to be extant. [[The Unix Heritage Society|TUHS]] has a copy of the 'UNIX Programmer's Manual' and the [[source]] for what would become the V4 kernel. The main differences in this 'nsys' kernel compared to the later V4 kernel are the earlier V3 way of registering signal handlers, and a few not yet implemented system calls. Most importantly [[pipe]]s had not yet been implemented, making this kernel not fully functional even on a V3 system.
 ==External links==